DepicT! ’16 Winners Announced…

Each year DepicT! challenges filmmakers from around the world to create an original and imaginative micro short film. The 15 films that made the DepicT! ’16 Shortlist were selected from over 700 entries from 63 different countries, and each film premiered in the cinema at the ever-popular DepicT! Showcase on Sat 24 Sept at Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival.

After the showcase the conversation carried on in the Watershed Café/Bar with a Drinks Reception sponsored by St Austell Brewery, before heading on to the sold out Awards Ceremony to discover the DepicT! expert jury panel’s take on the shortlisted films.

The prestigious panel that came together to select which films and filmmakers deserved a taste of DepicT! glory included some of the top names in film and television – Oscar® nominated Director of Photography Dick Pope, Film Programme manager at the British Council Jemma Desai, the National Film and Television School’s Chris Auty, Shooting People’s Matt Turner, Random Acts at Channel 4 Editor Pegah Farahmand, writer / director Damien O’Donnell, BAFTA-winning short film producer Emilie Jouffroy, and Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations David Sproxton.

Following the big screen premiere of the shortlisted films, Encounters Board Chair and Aardman Animations’ David Sproxton presented the DepicT! British Special Mention Award. The prize – a package of career development opportunities for a UK-based filmmaker from NFTS, BAFTA and Shooting People – went to filmmaker Lee Charlish for his film Pig Dream“for its powerful images and compelling sense of the horrific. The jury felt the film demonstrated that the filmmaker had considerable potential and could get a great deal out of the mentoring and support package that makes up the award.”

The jury also made a commendation to the film The Jungle Restaurant by Dave Young – a film about the Calais migrant camp The Jungle “for its humanity and a sense of hope, in what to many of us seems such a hopeless situation.”

The DepicT! The Royal Photographic Society Award of £1,000 went to Living by British director Ben Mankin and DoP Will Baldy. The award was presented by Andy Golding FRPS, Principal Lecturer in Film and Photography at the University of Westminster, and a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society who commented: “The Society and the Festival share a passion for image making and forward-thinking, and an ambition to uncover and progress distinctive creative talent. Judge Dick Pope BsC on behalf of the Society had this to say about the winning film: “Will Baldy’s cinematography perfectly realises director Ben Mankin’s vision. Along with the highly stylised atmospheric lighting the film is also very economically described by only a few shots… all precisely composed and well executed. A spot-on collaboration between DoP and Director.”

The DepicT! Random Acts Award, which gives one lucky winner a unique opportunity to be featured on Channel 4’s Random Acts platform and a chance to pitch for a new Random Acts commission, was won by Croatian director Petra Balelkic for her animated film Impacts. The award was presented by DepicT! Jury member, BAFTA Award-winning filmmaker and Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival Patron Damien O’Donnell who commented: “The Jury praised the film for its simple and bold execution. A perfect embodiment of Channel 4’s Random Acts which is all about provoking thought and debate.”

Both Living and Impacts also battled it out for the main DepicT! Award, which saw the Croatian animation pick up its second award and a £1500 Cash prize and a lifetime membership to our friends at Shooting People.

The award was again presented by Damien O’Donnell who commented: “Firstly, the jury would like to make a commendation for Living, such an accomplished and well realised piece that kept us engaged throughout but in the end, this year’s DepicT! Award goes to Impacts – a film that the jury felt has a profound and universal message, with bold visuals and an outstanding soundtrack, managing to speak volumes in such a short timeframe.”

A delighted Petra Balelkic, the winning director, had the following to say about her experience: “This was my first time at the Encounters Festival as well as in Bristol in general and I could only say it has exceeded my expectations. The programme was very inspiring for me and all the people I met here are extremely friendly and positive and it felt so good spending time in such surroundings. In the end, winning the prize was also a great experience (haha) and I’m happy that DepicT! encourages us to be extremely direct in presenting our thoughts.”

The final DepicT! award was chosen by you – DepicT! Juror, Shooting People’s Matt Turner awarded the Shooting People Audience Award to Run Boy by Meg Bagadion from the Philippines, which received 1573 votes. Meg, who picks up a Lifetime membership to Shooting People, sent this short statement: “I would like to thank Watershed and the people who have voted for Run Boy. It is such a relief to know that a lot of people felt familiar to my loosely based childhood story as depicted in the film! I hope you all get inspired by Run Boy to blow your snot before it slams you on the wall. Again thank you very much!”

Once again, a big thank you to all the filmmakers who entered this year, to our fantastic judges, to all of your who voted and supported the competition, and of course, to our sponsors: Royal Photographic Society, Channel Four, Aardman Animations , Films@59, BAFTA, NFTS, Shooting People, British Council, Independent Cinema Office and Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival.